


Eight, The Magic Number

by Smackofjellyfish



Series: Doctor Who Romance [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, Romance, Smut, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-17
Updated: 2017-10-17
Packaged: 2019-01-18 15:58:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12391422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smackofjellyfish/pseuds/Smackofjellyfish
Summary: Who better than the Eighth Doctor to star in a romance novel-style story? An unsuspecting woman is about to meet the man of her dreams at her job in a coffee shop. Of course, the man is an alien and time traveler, which brings certain complications. Such as being attacked by strange metal creatures and having her own tattoo used against her. But it’s all worth it when you’re guaranteed a Happily Ever After, right? The romance novel meets Doctor Who, which I personally think is a thing we all need in our lives.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place sometime after the TV movie (which I love, fight me) but well before the Time War, so we still have the young, long-haired Eighth Doctor, not the older, embattled (but still awesome) one.

Violet’s shift at the coffee shop started early that morning. She hung her wool coat in the staff room and set to work preparing for the morning rush. Customers soon began trickling and then streaming in. Busy with the flow, she juggled orders and payments while sipping her own beloved morning cup. Not her usual—black, no sugar—but instead, a frothy full-milk cappuccino sprinkled with cinnamon: caffeinated bliss.

She wasn’t sure why she had indulged this morning. Possibly it was the chilly fall weather, or more likely it was because of the dreams. During the past few nights her sleep had been endlessly disrupted by visions of a strange disturbance, like a tornado but larger. An enormous hole in the sky with wind and space roiling down… to where? She didn’t know, and couldn’t remember ever having such vivid dreams before.

She was tired, and a bit off balance if she cared to admit it. She had confided in her best friend Sam, who was sympathetic but just as baffled by the strange dreams as Violet was. Sam, utterly practical by nature, had tried to reassure her by blaming the dreams on Violet’s notoriously wild imagination. Violet wasn’t sure how to communicate to her just how disturbed her dreams had left her.

Throughout the morning, Violet periodically looked over at the strange man who had co-opted the best corner seat in the shop. She could barely see his face, which was wedged deep inside what looked like a very old book bound in actual leather, and was mostly hidden by dark hair falling to his collar. Hunched over as he was, she could only see that he wore a velvet coat and some sort of luxurious tie. Even in this hipster part of town, he seemed a bit odd.

Despite the fact that he never looked up—at least not that she could see as she made and served drinks and chatted with customers—she knew he saw her. Was watching her. Why?

Violet idly scratched the tattoo on her arm through her thick sweater. It had been bothering her off and on for a few days, despite allegedly having fully healed since she had gotten it a month ago. Violet had a number of tattoos, all finely planned for and designed over a period of time. This one, however, had been a whim. She had seen the design in a dream: a stylized pattern of various shapes, with no meaning but a nice symmetry to them. Violet didn’t know what had possessed her, but she liked the tattoo. When it wasn’t itching.

Violet’s family often questioned her love of tattoos. They also wondered why a thirtysomething woman like herself would still be working shifts at the local funky coffeeshop, but Violet felt comfortable here. Tattoos were par for the course among the employees, and no one asked her what she wanted to do with her life, or where she saw herself in ten years. She didn’t know, and was tired of trying to answer to such questions.

She had always been too odd, too much of a daydreamer, too short, too plump, too everything. And her uncanny ability to sense others’ feelings and thoughts—just a particular sensitivity, nothing _so_ strange—which sometimes led her to respond to the unasked questions lurking in people’s minds, seemed to make many people uncomfortable around her. But in the coffeeshop, she felt… if not at home, then at least part of a larger group of misfits trying to make their way.

She looked back over to where the stranger had been sitting, and did a double take. His book was thrown onto the table next to his coffee cup, but he was nowhere to be seen. She hadn’t sensed any movement, but he was gone.

Suddenly she felt someone grab her hand and pull—pull hard, and she found herself dragged along out the back door of the coffee shop. She dug in her heels a few yards past the door and yelled, “Wait!” Immediately the pressure on her hand released, and she found herself face to face with the stranger from the shop. _The unbelievably handsome stranger from the shop_ , Violet corrected herself.

“We can’t stop,” he said urgently in an English accent. “They’re coming! I saw you scratch your tattoo and I knew they were coming. And then I heard them near the door. Now run!”

As she was swiftly pulled along again Violet managed to catch a breath and yell, “ _Who_ is coming? Who are you? Where are you taking me? And… how do you even know I have a tattoo?”

The stranger did not answer, instead looking over his shoulder and past Violet, eyes widening. She looked behind and saw several small, eight-legged metal creatures scuttling in a strangely fluid way—almost as if they were in water—along the sidewalk toward them. Their eyes were glowing red and angry. The Doctor suddenly switched direction and into a small alleyway. He pushed her into a doorway niche and shielded his body with her own. Heart pounding, Violet was aware of his body pressed against hers, his hair tickling her face. She shook her head. _What is wrong with me… Who is this man? Why do I feel as if I have met him before? More importantly, how do I get out of here?_

As if he could hear her thoughts, the stranger took a quick step back, looked briefly around the corner, and smiled a brilliant, bright smile that filled his piercing blue eyes with light. He bowed, and took her hand to his lips.

“My apologies. I believe the danger has passed for the moment. Do not be afraid, Violet, I am here to help.”

Stunned equally by the stranger’s smile and by the experience of being pulled at breakneck speed away from her work, Violet simply stared.

“I’m truly do apologize,” the stranger said. “I am the Doctor.”

“The… what? Doctor who? Who are you, and what is going on? Oh, God, I’m so going to get fired.” Violet collapsed against the door behind her, momentarily overwhelmed.

She looked up, into sympathetic and unnaturally blue eyes. _He really is lovely, and that gorgeous voice!_ Violet thought, then squinted her eyes shut as she tried to regain her sanity.

“Come with me. Let’s go to the Tardis where is it’s safe—they can’t follow us inside—and I’ll make tea.”

“The… what?” Violet said again. The Doctor smiled and grabbed her hand.

“Come on, I’ll show you!”


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor led Violet down the alley to a large blue box labeled “Police,” and unlocked the door. Before Violet could protest against being pulled into a box with a strange man, she was inside. The Doctor looked at her expectantly.

She looked around at the huge room, which was filled with a combination of what seemed to be scientific equipment, some sort of navigational console, and Victorian furniture and decor. It was strangely futuristic and enticingly cozy at the same time. “But… why does it say ‘Police’?”

The Doctor looked at her quizzically, as if he had expected her to say something else, then sighed and explained.

“Violet, I am not human. I’m a Time Lord; an alien. I’ve lived for hundreds of years, in many different forms, and I travel through space and time in this, my Tardis. I go where I am needed and try to help.”

Violet looked at him for a long moment, considering, and then nodded.

“Okay. Good. And you said you had tea?”

The Doctor stared at her briefly, then strode briskly through a door, returning with two cups of tea in elegant and brightly painted china. He set the cups on an ornate round table between two overstuffed brocade chairs. Violet crossed the room and sat down as the Doctor did the same. For several minutes they drank their tea in silence. Violet was surprised at how comfortable the strange room was, warm light from candles lending a homey feeling, while a faint, peaceful hum droned in the background.

“Why are you here? Why were you in the coffee shop? What is going on?” Violet finally asked. The Doctor rose, knelt beside her chair, and pushed up the arm of her sweater to look at Violet’s tattoo.

“I might ask the same thing of you,” he said. Violet looked at him, surprised. He explained, “I had a dream last night. A dream! I sleep so rarely, and almost never dream. A vortex in the sky, space and time funneling in the darkness. Then today the Tardis landed here, not at all where I had planned. I came out to explore, and found myself tracking one of those small robots near your coffee shop. I went inside and saw you, and your tattoo before you put your sweater on.”

“What does my tattoo have to do with this?” Violet asked.

“You tell me,” he replied. “What does it mean to you? Who are you?”

Violet blinked. “I just… I don’t know. I dreamt the design, and then got the tattoo. It doesn’t mean anything. I’m not anyone.” Violet stood up and walked to the Tardis console.

The Doctor looked at her for a long time, as if perplexed by her answers. Then he rose and followed her across the room. He placed one hand on her arm near the tattoo, and the other hand on her shoulder. He drew in a sharp intake of breath, and Violet looked at him, astonished by his closeness. He was magnetic. So… alien, yet somehow familiar.

The Doctor sighed. “Violet,” he whispered. “I think you are wrong. You are quite someone.”

He turned abruptly and began pacing the floor. “The symbols on your arm are in the Osminog language. If you were able to get a closer look at the robots—which I don’t recommend—you would see these symbols are carved into their casing. These robots, the Osminog, track life forms they believe to be, well, edible, then imprint these symbols on them to tell their brethren that they can feed. They descend on their chosen food source, drain the energy from them, then eat them.”

Violet stared at him, appalled.

“Tell me about your dreams,” the Doctor requested.

Violet took a deep breath. “Well, first I dreamed about the design for the tattoo. I just woke up with it in my head, and I went to have it done. That’s it. Then the past few nights I’ve dreamed about a tornado in the sky—like a huge whirlwind in space, with everything in the universe moving through it.”

The Doctor looked thoughtful. “Violet, have you ever thought that might be psychic? What you saw was the time vortex—that is how the Tardis moves through time and space. You saw me coming, and likewise I saw myself coming to you, as if you were calling to me. The tattoo, well, I suspect you mentally tuned into the arrival of the Osminog on Earth, and now, unfortunately, since they are attracted through those symbols, they are tracking you.”

Violet walked over to the Doctor and stood in front of him. “You’re telling me I am psychic, alien creatures invaded my dreams, influenced my tattoo choice, and now miniature robots are chasing me?”

The Doctor touched his hand to her cheek, then pulled away, looking surprised. After a minute he smiled faintly.

“Yes. But don’t worry, I am here. As far as I know, the Osminog don’t usually eat larger life forms such as humans anyway, and frankly they are so small I am not sure they could. However, they can certainly do significant damage—such as drain your life force, I suppose, which of course we would very much prefer not to happen. If we can capture this group and take them off of this planet, you will be safe. It is debatable whether or not the Osminog are even truly sentient living creatures as we think of them, and they have short memories. They are unlikely to return.”

“Unlikely,” Violet repeated.

“Very unlikely,” the Doctor smiled reassuringly. “And if you can modify your tattoo to change the symbols, they should never bother you again.”

Violet bit her lip, thoughtful. The Doctor’s gaze lowered to her mouth, and he sighed. “You knew I was coming, and you sent your dream to me. How? It’s remarkable.” He took her head between his hands. “I think you may be remarkable, too, Violet.”

They stood like that, faces inches away from each other, for a moment. The Doctor frowned, and then he lowered his lips to her. Violet tasted coffee on his mouth, and a rough, delicious sweetness. His tongue probed her lips and she opened to him, wanting to explore the strange, intoxicating feeling swirling inside her. Violet was no young and innocent woman, but this was different from her past experiences… Powerful.

The Doctor groaned and lifted his head, pressing his forehead to hers. “This…” he said unsteadily, “I am not sure whether this is a good idea or not.”

“It _feels_ like a good idea,” said Violet.

The Doctor chuckled, and kissed her nose. “Regardless, my dear, we had better figure out how to deal with the Osminog sooner rather than later.” He brushed her dark hair back from her face and took her hand. “Let us sit and decide together.”


	3. Chapter 3

Settled into a chair with a fresh cup of tea, Violet examined the Doctor. He had picked up a small clockwork… owl? He sat in the chair nearest to hers, fiddling with the wings and poking underneath them with what looked like a light-up screwdriver. His cravat ( _Good Lord, what man wears an actual cravat?_ ) was slightly askew, his brow furrowed in concentration. Violet was not entirely certain if he remembered she was still there.

“Aha!” The Doctor suddenly exclaimed, looking up and raising his screwdriver triumphantly in the air as Violet jumped in her seat.

“Violet, what do you think about this? We can set a trap for the Osminog in this way: They are drawn to your tattoo, so if we replicate that pattern on something more like what they are believed to usually eat—a plant, for example—and place it in a cage of sorts just inside the door of the TARDIS, we can catch them. If you are close to the cage at that time, they will have additional, well, _incentive_ to come into the trap. Then we will transport them in the TARDIS to another planet. They will be out of our hair—so to speak—just like that!”

Violet stared at him, her expression blank.

“You want to encourage the Osminog to come _into_ the TARDIS,” she said.

The Doctor nodded.

“And you want to go—with me—to another planet. A _non-Earth_ planet, in this box, with robotic monsters in a cage.”

The Doctor smiled enthusiastically and nodded again.

“And you want to use me as bait.”

The Doctor had looked back toward the clockwork owl and was silent.

“Yes!” He finally exclaimed, poking once more at the owl’s wing.

“Yes, you want to use me as bait?” Violet asked.

The Doctor looked at her, confused. “No, of course not. I mean, well, yes, but only as an added inducement. You won’t be in the actual _cage_ , obviously. What I meant was _yes_ , I finally have this wing working!” He set the owl on the side table and pushed a button. The wings flapped gracefully several times, a quiet ticking noise emanating from its body. The owl turned its head toward Violet and fell still.

The Doctor looked at Violet and his face became serious. He stood and moved toward her chair, kneeling in front of where she sat. He arms rested on either side of her and he gazed into her eyes. _Who even has eyes that color blue,_ Violet thought. _It isn’t fair._

“Violet, you will not be harmed,” he said. “I promise I will protect you. We need to remove these creatures from Earth before they hurt anyone, but I will not allow you to be injured.” His eyes were troubled and he placed a hand under her chin.

“You are very lovely,” he said softly, almost to himself. “You called to me. And here I am.”

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers gently, then with more urgency. Violet gasped as his hands went around her hips and he pulled her with surprising strength from the chair and onto his lap. She grasped his shoulders for balance as his arms went around her waist.

The Doctor pulled away slightly, his lips still nearly touching hers. “Violet,” he whispered. “Do you want me to to stop? Tell me to stop.”

Violet’s eyes locked with his, and she felt as if she was drowning in them. She silently shook her head, then kissed him. Everything disappeared, as his kisses were first gentle and then increasingly demanding. His hands moved up over her spine, caressing her back, then back down to her waist. His tongue pushed slowly into her mouth, and again she tasted a sweetness, a _rightness_. She grasped his head in her hands and pulled him closer. He groaned against her lips and finally broke off the kiss.

“Violet,” the Doctor said hoarsely, “this is… rather unusual.”

To her own surprise Violet laughed aloud. Unusual? Her entire day had been _unusual_ —crazy, bizarre, unspeakably strange.

“Doctor,” she said. “Today I have been dragged from my work by an alien man, chased by killer robots, and had tea on Victorian furniture in a blue box that is bigger on the inside than the outside. This is the _least_ unusual thing that has happened to me.”

The Doctor looked disgruntled. “Do you mean to say that you often kiss strange men while sitting on their laps?”

Violet smiled. “No, sadly enough.” The Doctor looked even more perturbed. “What I mean is that running from robots and having tea in a time machine may seem normal to you, but everything else about this day has been... outside of my experience.”

She pressed a kiss to his lips. “But this—this is worth it. I don’t know why, but this feels right.”

The Doctor cleared his throat. “Well, I am glad to hear it. I don’t think…” His eyes searched hers. “I don’t think I am willing to forgo this, or you, now that we have arrived…” he gestured at where they sat sprawled on the TARDIS floor. “Here.” And then he kissed her again.


	4. Chapter 4

Some minutes later, the Doctor and Violet reluctantly untangled themselves from each other. Violet straightened the Doctor’s vest and cravat, and the Doctor combed his fingers through Violet’s hair.

“Well,” the Doctor said. “I suppose we should get to work.” He smiled at Violet. “At least for the present moment. Time enough, later. Let me see where I put that cage.”

Violet personally thought that later could go hang itself, but she nodded and stood. She didn’t particularly want to be tracked by alien bugs any longer than necessary—and she certainly didn’t want anyone else to be hurt before they were able to remove them from the planet.

Odd, though, that she felt more comfortable and secure with this stranger than she ever had before with a man.  _ Which isn’t saying much _ , she thought. Most of her encounters with men had been short-lived and unsatisfying. But she found herself deeply contented in the presence of this man she had only just met, and as tuned into others’ feelings as she was, she knew he felt the same.

The Doctor bustled out another door, and came back several minutes later holding four small metal globes. They had multiple buttons on their surfaces, and writing in some foreign language.

“I thought you were going to get a cage?” Violet asked.

“I did! This is it.” The Doctor replied. He attempted to juggle the spheres and two spun away from him, rolling to the edges of the room. He hurried to retrieve them.

Violet shook her head and tried to stay focused.

“Doctor. What are those, and how will they help us catch the Osminog?” She asked with great patience. 

“What? Oh! Yes. Watch and see.” He took the metal globes and placed them in a square just inside the TARDIS door. Pressing buttons on each sphere, he stood and gestured at them with a flourish.

“There! See?” 

Violet saw nothing. She walked carefully over the where the Doctor stood, and reached a hand between two globes. Her hand bumped against something solid, and she felt along it, realizing that invisible walls had sprung up between and above the spheres, creating a solid box.

The Doctor looked incredibly pleased with himself. “A cage they cannot see! Another press of a button and a final wall will drop behind them, keeping them safe and sound. Now, we just need some bait… Aside from you, I mean.”

Violet gave him a hard stare.

“Yes, well, I mean the  _ main _ bait, of course.” The Doctor walked out of the console room again, returning several minutes later with a large potted plant.

“What… Where did you get a plant in here?” Violet exclaimed. “I demand a full tour once we get rid of these bugs.”

The Doctor set the plant on the floor and bowed. “And so you shall have it, my dear.” He smiled. “It may take a while, though. All right, let me just mark this—Here, let me see your arm.”

Examining her tattoo, the Doctor dug a pen out of his coat pocket and copied the symbols from Violet’s tattoo onto a leaf of the plant. Edging around the cage, he pushed it inside.

“All set. Now, we wait. I doubt it will be long—No doubt the Osminog followed us here and are waiting for their chance.”

“Oh. Great.” Violet said faintly. 

The Doctor opened the TARDIS door and a gust of chilly air blew in. Violet could see dark clouds forming in the sky outside, and she shivered. 

“Are you cold? Come here.” The Doctor pulled her to his side by the door, his arm close around her. Violet lay her head against him, amazed again at how comfortable she felt with this man.

“Doctor, we only just met today, but I feel like I’ve known you forever. It’s strange. I’m not… I’m not really a people person, usually, and definitely not a  _ man _ person. I’m never comfortable around them.” Violet said quietly.

The Doctor kissed the top of her head and chuckled. “Well, I’m not  _ technically _ a person, at least not a human one. Maybe that explains it.”

He turned Violet to face him. “I do understand what you mean. To have met you today and yet feel for you what I do,” Violet could swear he blushed slightly, “It’s certainly not an experience I’ve had before. But here we are. And I’m not complaining.”

He took Violet’s chin in his hand. “Time is a funny thing, Violet. It is not as linear nor as obedient to our understanding of it as we like to think. We may have met each other today, but our connection is more than a day’s worth of experience. It is much deeper and older than that. I have seen enough to know that these things are possible. I hope you can trust me when I say that what I feel is real.”

She looked into his blue eyes, searching for the truth. She saw it reflected back to her, the truth of this connection, the depth of feeling that in normal time would take months if not years to build. She wondered at how, after so many years of waiting, she finally felt as if she was where she was meant to be.

Violet put her arms around the Doctor’s neck and rose slightly onto her toes, pressing her lips against the hollow at the base of his throat. He groaned and gathered her to him, reaching his mouth down to find hers in a searing kiss. 

Suddenly a sharp clicking came from outside the TARDIS, and they broke apart, both turning to face the entrance. Violet saw a long metal arm wrap around the edge of the door, and then glowing red eyes emerged from around the exterior wall.

“Violet, get behind the cage!” The Doctor shouted as several more Osminog scuttled into view.

Violet ran behind the invisible cage, watching as the Osminog waved their arms toward the plant inside. The Doctor stood next to the cage and pulled his screwdriver from his pocket, ready to deflect any wayward creatures. One by one, several Osminog entered, each wrapping an arm around the plant, which quickly began to wilt.

As the last metal creature crawled toward the cage, it reached a single arm up, feeling the top surface of the cage. It quickly pressed several other arms against the top and lifted itself up and onto the cage, moving toward Violet with its eyes blazing angrily. 


	5. Chapter 5

“Doctor, look!” Violet shouted.

One metal arm shot out with astonishing speed and Violet felt a sharp pain in her arm as it touched her. She leaped backwards.

“Watch out, Violet!” The Doctor yelled, and extended his screwdriver toward the Osminog. Before he could deflect the creature, it flung its arm out and wrapped it around his wrist. It held him tightly, and oozed a thin green slime over his skin. 

Violet watched as the Doctor immediately turned pale and appeared to weaken. She looked around wildly for something to do, and out of the corner of her eye caught sight of a heavy, metal Victorian table lamp. She grabbed it, struggling to lift its weight, and stumbled over to where the Doctor was now kneeling, trying to pull his arm from the creature’s grasp. 

With all of the strength Violet could muster, she raised the lamp above her head and brought it down on the Osminog’s body. Sparks flew from where the creature was hit, and it released the Doctor’s hand. Arms waving, it scrambled back over the top of the cage, leaped to the ground, and rushed out of the TARDIS door and away.

The Doctor managed to close the cage, capturing the remaining Osminog, before slumping to the floor.

Violet knelt beside him and held his wrist. It was covered in slime, with a red welt where the Osminog had held him.

“Doctor, are you all right?” She asked worriedly.

“Yes, yes, I will be,” the Doctor replied in a shaky voice. He wrapped his free hand over Violet’s where she held him and looked at her, a dark emotion in his eyes. “Thank you. And… I’m sorry. I should have been more cautious. I didn’t think they would figure out how to climb a cage they couldn’t see, and I certainly didn’t think they could move so fast.”

He moved his hand to where the Osminog had touched her, a red welt rising on the skin. “I’m so sorry.”

“Doctor, I’m fine. It’s you I’m worried about! That creature was draining the life out of you—are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“I just need a moment.” He smiled slightly. “We Time Lords are sturdy, and I’ll be right as rain in just a little while. Certainly I’m more able to withstand an attack than a human.” His expression turned serious again. “Violet, I couldn’t let it hurt you. I would have done anything… even killed it, if I had been able.”

The Doctor drew in a long, unsteady breath. “But I wasn’t able. I wasn’t able to protect you. You saved me, rather than the other way around, and I am grateful to you. But I promise you, it will not happen again.”

Violet settled herself more securely on the floor next to the Doctor. She turned his head toward her with her hand, and pressed her palm against his cheek. “We’re a team.” She said. “I am not a damsel in distress, and I want to help. I may not be a Time Lord, but I can swing a lamp when necessary, and I want to be useful. We’ll solve this problem together, and we’ll take care of each other.” 

The Doctor gazed at her, an arrested look on his face. “A team. Yes.” Then he chuckled. “This is a most unusual day, but I can’t say I’m not happy about it. Violet, where did you come from?”

She kissed his lips lightly and smiled. “The coffee shop down the street. I believe you ordered an espresso with a side of plucky Earth girl. Now, let’s get you to a chair.” 

Violet struggled to help the Doctor to stand, and he leaned heavily on her as they made their way back to the seating area. She tried to deposit the Doctor in one chair while she sat in the other, but he insisted that she sit on his lap. 

“It will help me regain my strength more quickly,” he said. Violet looked at him suspiciously, but complied.

They sat for a time, the Doctor entertaining Violet with outrageous stories of faraway planets and alien beings— _ other _ alien beings, Violet reminded herself. Violet in turn told him about her life, her job, how she had always yearned for excitement and adventure but had felt stuck in her own small world.

“Are you always alone when you travel?” she asked. 

“Oh, goodness, no, I often have one companion to travel with—or more!” He replied.

Violet raised her head from where she had rested it on his shoulder. “Wait, are you saying you often pick up other people and... “ She blushed, unsure of how to ask the question. “Are they like…  _ kissing _ companions? Is this just another day for you? Am I just another... companion?” 

Violet fell silent, embarrassed by her own pointed questions. She wasn’t sure why she felt so bothered—she certainly wasn’t a particularly jealous person. But she had an unfamiliar and uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“Violet,” the Doctor said seriously, “You are like no one I have met or traveled with before.  _ This _ is unlike anything I have experienced before. I know it’s hard to understand.” He laughed softly. “It’s hard for  _ me _ to understand, and I have seen more impossible things than you can imagine. But I know this is real. You brought me here for a reason, and I am so glad that you did.”

Violet turned so that she could more fully see his face. She studied him for a long time, then with one finger traced from the top of his forehead, along his cheek, and down to his lips. She rested two fingers there, and he closed his eyes. She turned on his lap, adjusting her legs so that she sat astride him. Slowly, she lowered her head and kissed him. She took her time, tasting him as she pressed her tongue inside. She heard his breath hitch as she moved her mouth lower, across his cheek and down the side of his throat. 

“Violet,” the Doctor whispered in a rough voice. Violet made a soft sound against his neck as his hands pulled her closer on his lap. “I think,” he said, “I am mostly recovered.”

Violet laughed and wound her arms around his neck, returning her mouth to his. She tangled her hands in his hair as he pulled her hips closer. She could feel just how recovered her was, and she smiled against his lips. She broke the kiss and sat up on his lap, slowly drawing her sweater over her head. Her shirt and bra followed, and she saw the Doctor swallow hard. He ran his hands up the sides of her waist and then across to cup her large breasts. He looked up to her eyes, his own unfocused with desire.

“Violet. You are perfect.”

Violet smiled uncomfortably at the compliment.  _ Perfect _ was the last word she would use to describe herself, but if he wanted to believe it she was not going to stop him.

“I mean that, Violet,” he said, as if he had read her mind.  _ Hmm _ , Violet thought. “You are. Perfect for me. You are beautiful.” He ran his hands down her stomach as she untied his cravat and threw it to the floor, and began unbuttoning his shirt. He shrugged out of it and Violet pressed herself forward, kissing him again as her breasts brushed his chest. He groaned and grasped her waist.

He lifted her up and off of him as if she weighed nothing as he stood, so that they were both upright, bodies barely touching. He pulled off first the rest of her clothes and then his, then gathered her to him and kissed her until she could barely breathe. She hardly noticed as he lifted her up and settled them both on the soft rug by the chairs. He rolled her on top of him so that she could feel every inch of him pressed against her. 

He ran his hands along her spine as she lifted her head and propped herself up on her arms. The Doctor took the opportunity to catch the tip of one breast in his mouth, and Violet moaned with pleasure.

He rested his head back against the rug and Violet kissed down his cheek, his throat, then lower across his chest and stomach.

“Oh, Violet,” he groaned. “You are incredible.”

Encouraged, she sat up and trailed fingers down his stomach to where she could see just how much he enjoyed this. She grasped him and he arched up against her. 

“Violet…  _ yes _ .”

She lifted herself onto him slowly, enjoying the closeness, the pressure, the feeling of  _ him _ inside her. She captured his lips with hers again as he pushed all of the way into her and moaned against her mouth. Wrapping his arms around her, he rolled her over so that he was on top of her, a welcome weight. 

He dipped his head again to take one breast in his mouth as he began moving inside of her. She gasped and wrapped her legs tightly around him. She felt as if she was coming apart as he moved faster, their bodies intertwined in the most intimate way possible. 

_ How is this much pleasure with a man possible? Is this… legal? _ Violet thought. And then she did not think, only felt as the rhythm quickened. She dug her heels into the back of his thighs as the Doctor kissed her deeply. She shuddered against him as he thrust into her one more time, and then collapsed against her. 


	6. Chapter 6

After some time, the Doctor stirred and sat up on the rug. He placed a hand on Violet’s bare stomach and raised his eyes to hers.

“Well. That was…” He stopped, looking stumped.

Violet giggled. “Yes, it definitely was.” She sat up and leaned against him. “It could be again, too.” 

The Doctor kissed her forehead. “That is a promise.” He grinned. “It’s remarkable how much better I feel! However,” he continued more seriously, “We still have one Osminog on the loose, and we’ve seen what sort of damage it can do. I do not believe it will attack anyone not marked with the symbols, but we can’t take that risk. And it is still a risk to you, my dear Violet.”

Violet sighed and rested her head against his chest. “You’re right. We can’t let that thing hurt anyone else. But how will we catch it? I’m just going to guess that you have an idea.”

“Oh, yes! Most certainly. I’m not sure we can expect it to come back to the TARDIS after last time—you and lamps and everything—but it likely hasn’t gone far. So I shall go after it, and try to lure it into one of the smaller traps I have. I should be able to manage, and once we have that one caught, we’ll take them far away from here, where they won’t bother you any more.”

“Wait…  _ You _ will go after it?” Violet asked. “What about me? I’m going with you, of course.”

“No, no, definitely not,” the Doctor argued. “It’s too dangerous. You’ve seen what it can do, and—” He rested his hand on her tattooed arm, “With this, you are all but calling out for it to attack you. No, I can’t allow it.”

“ _ Allow _ it!” Violet exclaimed. “There is no way I am going to  _ allow _ you to chase after that metal bug on your own. I am going with you—No,” She said firmly as the Doctor opened his mouth to argue, “You can’t stop me. Anyway, how were you planning on luring the Osminog without me? Are you going to carry a potted plant around the streets?”

The Doctor glared at her, his eyes fierce. Then he sighed, resigned. “I don’t know. I don’t know how I would do it without you. But you saw what happened last time, how dangerous that creature is. And I couldn’t protect you. What if that happens again?”

“Doctor,” replied Violet, kissing the tip of his nose, “You are incredibly sweet. And chivalrous. And very, very attractive.” She kissed down his cheek and throat as she spoke, and thought she could just see a blush begin to creep up his neck. “Did I mention attractive?”

She pulled away and looked directly at him. “But we need to do this together. If I lure the Osminog, and you set the trap, we can get this over with. Everyone will be safe, and then we…” She smiled. “Well, we can get on with… other things.”

The Doctor looked troubled, but he took a deep breath and said, “A team, yes?”

Violet nodded. “A team.”

They took their time dressing, neither in a hurry to leave the quiet coziness of the TARDIS, or to face the danger outside. Each found reasons to touch the other, Violet buttoning the Doctor’s shirt, the Doctor straightening Violet’s hair and brushing it away from her face. Finally, they were ready.

The Doctor left the console room to find the smaller cage, and Violet sat for a moment on a chair.  _ Ten hours ago I started another boring day _ , she thought.  _ Another day just like all the others. And now look what has happened _ . She hugged her arms around herself and grinned.  _ Yay _ !

The Doctor returned holding four small metal spheres, which he showed to Violet and then placed in his coat pocket. He strode toward the door, then turned toward her, a hesitant but resolved look on his face.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” 

“Of course.” Violet nodded. “You can’t do it without me, and there’s no way I’m letting you go alone.” 

She walked over to where he stood and took his hand. He closed his eyes briefly, then squeezed her hand and nodded.

“All right. Stay close to me, and don’t take any risks. We’ll find a quiet alley to set up the trap, and I want you to stay well back. I’ll be ready this time if it makes any sudden moves.” He kissed her, suddenly and hard. 

He opened the door and they ventured out into the cold evening. The wind had whipped itself into a frenzy as a front blew in, clouds rushing by overhead and low thunder rumbling in the distance. Violet shivered despite her sweater.

“Are you cold? Do you want to go back inside?” the Doctor asked hopefully.

“No,” Violet said firmly. “Let’s do this.” She pulled him by the hand away from the TARDIS. 

They walked through the increasingly dark streets until they found a small alley not far from the TARDIS. The wind blew through the narrow space and Violet felt the first few raindrops on her face.  _ Why do I never wear a raincoat _ , she thought.  _ I never learn _ . She watched the Doctor as he set the trap close to the entrance to the alley. He was wearing a sensible-looking waterproof jacket.  _ English people are used to the rain _ , Violet thought, then laughed to herself. He was no more English than she was.


	7. Chapter 7

“All right, that should do it,” said the Doctor. “Now we wait.”

They stood for some time in the alley as the air turned colder and the rain fell harder. After a while Violet scraped her wet hair out of her face and hopped up and down on the balls of her feet, trying to get warm.

“This is ridiculous,” she complained. “Why hasn’t it come yet? I thought you said it would be nearby?”

The Doctor looked perplexed. “Yes, it’s very strange. I don’t believe you damaged it badly when you hit it with the lamp—you would think with you out here in the open, it would have come to us right away.”

Violet frowned. “Well, we can’t stay out here all night waiting,” she said. “We’ll freeze to death. Or drown in this rain. I’m going after it. Maybe if it sees me it will follow me back here.”

“No!” The Doctor replied forcefully. “You can’t—the Osminog may be too small to actually eat you, but it could easily drain your energy as it did mine.”

“Doctor, you have to let me help,” Violet said. “I may be just a human, but I’m not here to stand in the background and be protected by you. I want to help. I can do this.”

She turned abruptly and walked toward the cage, then slid through the narrow opening between the edge of the cage and the alley wall.

“Violet, no! Come back! It’s too dangerous!” The Doctor hurried toward her, but Violet waved him back, motioning him to stop. 

He tried to grab her hand, but she scooted around the corner of the alley and out of reach. “Doctor, I’m bait, remember?” She called. “As soon as I see the Osminog I’ll come back through, and it will go into the cage and be trapped.”

She heard the Doctor calling after her, and a faint scuffle as he tried to squeeze through the opening between the cage and the wall. She did not look back as she slunk down the rainy street, peering carefully into each door well and alleyway as she went by. The night was dark and cold, and Violet’s teeth were chattering.

As she slipped past a particularly narrow alley, out of the corner of her eye she saw a reddish glow. Slowly, she backed up to get a better view. 

“Aha!” Violet exclaimed. “Found you.” She began backtracking the way she had come, keeping a careful eye on the Osminog as it extended several arms around the corner of the building and pulled itself around to face her on the empty sidewalk.

“Ok.” Violet shivered with cold and fear. “Ok, follow me. We’re going to do this.” She spun and ran back toward the alley where the cage was, slipping in puddles and struggling to find her way through the thick rain.

She threw a quick glance behind her and saw the Osminog a few yards behind, eyes glowing furiously. 

“Doctor! Doctor, we’re coming!” Violet called. She could see the turn into the alley just ahead. Sliding around the corner, she slipped between the cage and the wall. “Doctor!”

The Doctor was nowhere in sight.

The Osminog turned the corner and entered the cage. Violet ran to one of the metal spheres, frozen hands fumbling as she tried to figure out which button would close the cage. 

“Doctor! Doctor, help! I’ve got it!” She yelled. To her horror, the Osminog, finding no food inside the cage, turned its red eyes on Violet, and lifted three arms up and over to the top of the cage. 

“Not again!”

It crept along the top of the cage as Violet slowly backed toward the dead end of the alley behind her. Her feet caught the edge of the uneven pavement, and she fell backwards into an icy puddle. 

“Doctor!” She called. 

The creature advanced along the tips of its arms, eyes glowing more brightly as it neared where Violet had fallen. She scrambled backward, but one arm shot out and touched her around the area of her tattoo several times, a sharp pain following each tap. Another arm grabbed her leg in a vice-like hold, wrapped several times around her ankle. Immediately Violet felt dizzy, then faint. She wiped dripping water out of her eyes as she tried to pull her ankle back. The creature only tightened its grip. 

Violet felt frozen and faint as she lay in the puddle, metal arm tethering her to the creature. She thought she heard the Doctor’s voice call her name from a distance.  _ I must be hallucinating, _ she thought.  _ He’s gone _ . And then she stopped thinking at all, falling into a deep unconsciousness. 


	8. Chapter 8

Violet awoke to the distinctly unpleasant feeling of someone shaking her firmly by the shoulders. She tried to squirm away so that she could go back to sleep, but as she regained consciousness she became painfully aware that her feet were numb and she was soaking wet. And lying in a puddle.

“Violet, Violet! Can you hear me?”

Violet felt herself partially lifted by a strong pair of arms as the Doctor’s voice came into focus. She shook her head and opened her eyes. She saw the Doctor leaning over her, rain streaming down his face. His normally bright eyes looked serious and full of shadows. Dangerous, even. Violet blinked.

“Oh. Hi.” Violet said weakly. “What happened?”

“Oh, thank the Gods,” the Doctor said hoarsely. She realized he was kneeling next to her in the puddle with his arms around her shoulders. 

“I thought… Violet, I wasn’t sure if I got here in time. I ran after you when you left the alley—I couldn’t let you take the risk by yourself! But I couldn’t find you anywhere, it was so dark. And then I heard you calling, but I couldn’t get back here quickly enough. I saw you lying on the ground and the Osminog was draining your energy. I was able to stun it with my screwdriver, just enough to throw it into the cage and shut the door before it started after me, as well.”

Violet tried to absorb everything the Doctor was saying, but her brain felt like it was full of rainwater and she could not feel her hands. A powerful shiver tore through her. She tried to sit up but she was too cold and weak to move.

“You’re frozen,” the Doctor said. “Let’s get you back to the TARDIS. Brave Violet.” He kissed her forehead and lifted her easily into his arms. “You did it. You nearly killed me with fear for you, but you did it. I should never have underestimated you.”

The Doctor carried her back to the TARDIS and settled her on a chair, wrapped in a thick blanket, before returning to retrieve the cage from the alley. Both cages secured to one side of the console room, he scooped Violet up in his arms again and carried her to the interior door.

“Where are you taking me?” Her voice wavered. While the blanket had helped, she was still overcome with cold and damp.

“To get you dry and warm—you’ve been too cold for too long. You may be stronger than I gave you credit for, but you’re still human.” His beautiful voice was unusually rough.

He carried Violet down a long hallway, every few moments pressing kisses against Violet’s wet hair. He was warm and comforting, and Violet nestled into his arms. She peeked over the Doctor’s shoulder as they crossed through another doorway, and saw that they had entered a large bedroom with an antique four poster bed. The room was warm and comfortable.

The Doctor placed her on the enormous bed, her legs dangling over the edge. 

“I’ll find you a robe while you get undressed,” he said, rubbing her hands between his to warm them. “And I’ll get changed, as well.”

Violet noticed that his clothes were also soaked through, yet he seemed relatively unaffected by the cold and wet.

“Sturdy, remember?” He grinned and walked into a large closet along one wall. Violet tried to remove her sweater, but her hands were numb and she could not pull the wet wool above her head. 

The Doctor quickly returned wearing dry clothes and carrying a fluffy robe. “Oh! Poor Violet. Here, let me help.”

He took hold of her hands and brought them to his lips. His warm mouth felt like heaven on her frozen fingers. He kissed his way up each one, then opened her hands and kissed her palms. His breath thawed the cold on her skin, but she shivered.

“Let’s get you out of these wet clothes,” he said, and carefully peeled the soaked wool of her sweater up and over her body. “Here, stand up.” He gently lifted her to stand in front of him, her hands braced on his shoulders. He slowly took off her shirt, and then the rest of her clothes. His hands lingered on her skin, hot against her chilled body. He placed his hands on her waist, and she could feel them trembling slightly.

“Violet,” he breathed against her lips. “Wait right there!” Violet felt suddenly bereft as he moved quickly away from her and across the room. But he was back in a second, holding a large fluffy towel.

“We need to get you dry and warm,” he said, and lifted her back onto the bed, where he joined her. He rubbed her hair thoroughly with the towel and wrapped her in the fleecy robe. He pulled her to lean back against him and combed his fingers through her hair, untangling the wet knots. His mouth found her ear, warm breath on her skin before he took the lobe in his mouth. His arms came around her and she sighed happily, finally relaxing. Finally safe.

“My brave Violet,” the Doctor whispered against her ear. “What am I going to do with you?”


	9. Chapter 9

Violet couldn’t help but laugh. She turned around on the bed to face the Doctor, and kissed him lightly.

“What are you going to do with me? Doctor, I know you’re not human, but I’m on your bed with only a robe wrapped around me. Surely you have  _ some _ idea of what you’re going to do?”

The Doctor looked nonplussed, and Violet thought she could see a blush creeping up his neck. Watching him blush was quickly becoming one of her favorite things.

“Well, you’ve had a shock, I imagine. Chasing alien robots, having your life force drained. And you’re still half frozen! I mean… Well, I would understand if you would prefer a nap, or some tea. Or…” He hesitated, looking uncertain. “Or to go home.”

Violet lay her cheek against his shoulder and smiled as he wrapped his arms around her, but said in a serious voice, “Do you want me to go home? Would you like me to leave?”

She felt his arms around her tighten, and she pulled back to look at the Doctor’s face. “Is that what you want?”

The dangerous look Violet thought she had seen before flickered over his eyes.  _ Under all of his lightness, he is not a man to mess with, _ Violet thought.  _ He is strong, powerful. A man his enemies fear.  _ She caught her breath, realizing that she was attracted to this aspect of the Doctor as much as she was to his humor and charm. 

“No,” he said in a low but forceful voice. “I don’t want you to leave. I want you to stay… with me.”

The Doctor drew her arm out from under the towel, and ran a hand over her Osminog tattoo. Angry welts marred her skin where the creature had touched her. He kissed each welt with incredible tenderness, lingering along the way. When he was finished Violet felt breathless—and the welts no longer hurt. She looked up at him, amazed. 

He smiled. “Time Lords have some advantages. I mean, other than time travel, of course. It’s a trick of the mind, really—but it does help with pain.”

Violet drew in a deep breath, trying to absorb everything that had happened to her that day. She wasn’t sure if it was the cold, the events of the day, or the Doctor’s nearness that was making her head feel fuzzy. Maybe all three.

“I know that you need to be a partner,” he said, “to be involved and not stay in the background. But it isn’t easy for me, to allow you to put yourself in harm’s way. In fact, the idea makes my hearts… hurt.”

“Hearts… Plural.” Violet shook her head. She would pursue that later. She put a hand to his chest. “Well, maybe if you can make my pain better, I can make yours better as well.”

She reached up and pulled his head down to hers, their lips meeting. She felt his tongue touch her mouth, and opened to him willingly. His tongue teased hers, and he pulled her closer. She took his lower lip between hers and bit softly. He moaned and before Violet knew what was happening, she had been rolled over onto her back, her robe slipping open. 

She felt the heat of his body on top of hers, but she wanted more. She tugged at his shirt, and he quickly pulled it over his head.

“Is this what you want, Violet?” He asked. Violet heard a tremble in his voice. “Do you want me? This?”

She nodded. “Oh, yes. This. I want this.” 

She pulled his head down for a another kiss, deeper and more forceful. She felt his hearts (hearts!) beating rapidly against her chest. Her hands trailed down his back, feeling every muscle, landing at his hips and pulling him closer between her legs. She nuzzled his neck and sighed against him. 

Violet circled her hands around and down his hips, and pushed them between their bodies to unbutton his pants. The Doctor pushed the pants down and to the floor, and they lay together, skin against skin. He ran his hands up Violet’s arms, lifting them above her head and holding them there.

His eyes flickered with a hint of the dangerous shadows Violet had seen before. His body curved over hers, and he let his forehead rest on hers as he pressed his hard maleness against her. Violet felt surrounded by him and very, very warm after having been so very cold. He took the tip of her ear in his mouth and nipped at it, and Violet arched up against him. 

“Yes,  _ please _ .”

She could feel his breath against her neck as he pushed himself into her, filling her insides as well as her outsides with warmth. She was consumed by him, her hands still held helpless above her head, her body pinned to the bed by his weight. She wrapped her legs around his hips and moved against him.

Violet gasped as he thrust deeper, and he growled against her neck. She had never felt this all-encompassing pleasure, this feeling of possessing and being possessed by another at the same time. 

“Violet,” he groaned, and the sound of his voice saying her name, so undone and uncontrolled, pushed her over the edge. She flung her head back and cried out as he muffled a shout against her, and they clung to each other as they reached a sweet release together.

Minutes later, still breathing hard, the Doctor pushed himself off of her and pulled her to face him, lying on the bed. He kissed her cheek and her forehead, and tucked her head under his chin, one arm curled around her body. Violet quickly fell into an exhausted and satisfied sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Violet awoke some hours later to find herself wrapped in a blanket in the middle of the bed, and alone. A candle glowed on the table across the room. She sat up and looked around, eyes resting on the closet door. Slowly, as every muscle twinged from her earlier efforts to escape the Osminog— _ and some other unfamiliar exercise _ , she thought—she climbed down from the bed and crossed the room. She rummaged through the closet and, strangely, found her own clothes clean and dry inside. Dressing quickly, she left the bedroom and walked in what she believed to be the direction of the console room.

Relieved to find the correct door to the room, she padded barefoot across to where the Doctor was crouched, watching the Osminog in the two cages. He glanced up at her approach and she nearly melted at his warm smile. 

Lowering himself down to sit on the floor, he pulled Violet onto his lap. She wound her arms around his neck and nuzzled his throat. She was gratified to hear his breathing quicken. Suddenly she pulled back and looked around to the larger cage.

“What is that sound?” She asked.

The Doctor looked at her, puzzled. “What sound? I only hear a bit of clicking, like before.”

“It’s like they’re… talking. I don’t understand it, but it’s not just clicking. It’s some foreign language. Wait…” Violet tilted her head. “Now I understand. They’re wondering where they are, and why they can’t get out. They want to know where their… guardians, I think? Where the guardians are. I could be wrong, I don’t understand all of it.”

She looked up into the Doctor’s face, his eyes wondering and full of light as he gazed at her.

“Violet, I can’t hear it, just the clicking. They must communicate telepathically—and the TARDIS is translating for you. Amazing. And guardians…” the Doctor mused. “I wonder what that could mean. Strange creatures, there is so little known about them.” 

Violet rested her head back against the Doctor’s shoulder. “They don’t sound unhappy, just… confused. Empty, somehow. Maybe they really are just robots. Anyway, what are we going to do with them now?”

The Doctor pulled her closer and rested his chin against the top of her head. “I believe I know just the planet for them. It’s mostly jungle. Lots of plants and very few larger life forms. I think they may manage to stay out of trouble there, at least for a while. Eventually they will move onto another planet, I suppose, but it doesn’t feel right to destroy them. They’re just doing what they are meant to do, even if they did get a little confused this time.”

Violet slid off of the Doctor’s lap and turned to face him, kneeling on the floor. “And me—what are you going to do with me? Do I stay here? Go back to my job at the coffee shop? Assuming I’m not fired,” she added. “Or do I go with you?”

The Doctor inhaled and looked away. Violet’s heart sank. Despite his previous words about his feelings for her, why on Earth would such a man—alien, whatever—want her to tag along? She was just an average, if slightly psychic, woman.  _ Why on Earth, indeed _ , she thought.

The Doctor finally looked back at her, his expression unreadable. “What do you want, Violet? The universe is a dangerous place—the Osminog are the least of what’s out there. Do you really want to put yourself in that kind of danger?”

Violet thought for a minute, then replied, “I’ve felt my whole life like I’ve been waiting for something. Just standing in limbo, as other people’s lives take place around me. Today I felt… for the first time I felt like I was living  _ my _ life. That I was where I am supposed to be. I’m not afraid of danger—it’s continuing to have  _ nothing _ happen that terrifies me.”

A spark flickered in the Doctor’s eyes, but his expression grew cautious again. “And what about me? I’m not a human man. I’m not like anyone else you have ever known—Would you really want to be stuck with me?”

Violet placed her hands on his knees and gazed into his eyes. “Are you serious? Doctor, you are the most beautiful man I have ever met! And the most amazing person. Why wouldn’t I want to be with you for as long as you’ll have me?”

The Doctor looked embarrassed. “Well, I’ve been told by more than one human that I’m a little strange, and I’m not exactly used to romantic entanglements.. I thought…” He shook his head. “I thought after all of this that you might want to find a more  _ normal _ man.”

Violet could not help but laugh. “ ‘Romantic entanglements,’ ” she said, delighted. “What a wonderful term for this. It sounds very… physical.” 

She scooted closer to the Doctor and put her hands around the back of his neck. “Doctor, you may be from another planet, but I’m just as alien on Earth as you are. I’ve never belonged here. And I’ve never belonged with any of the men I’ve known, either.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, and then his lips. “I only belong with you.”

The Doctor let out a long sigh and scooped her back onto his lap. “Violet, I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear that. I will always let you go if you wish to leave, but…” His arms tightened around her. “I hope you won’t. I don’t want to let you go.”

Violet smiled and pushed him back onto the floor. She kissed his neck from his chin to where his shirt was unbuttoned at the top of his chest, then began undoing the buttons there. “Good,” she said. “Then we have an understanding.”


	11. Chapter 11

The next day Violet and the Doctor entered the TARDIS after releasing the Osminog on the jungle planet. The Doctor had placed the cages some distance from the TARDIS, then set the doors on a timer to open and let the Osminog go well after they had returned to safety.

The Doctor strode to the console and flipped several switches. 

“Where will we go now?” Violet asked.

“I have just the place,” the Doctor replied, smiling. “Remember, I told you that just to be safe, you need to have your tattoo modified. And I know just where to do it.”

Violet spent the next ten minutes pelting the Doctor with questions about their destination, but he only laughed and refused to say a word. Once the TARDIS stopped, Violet all but burst out of the doors. 

She looked around at the strange buildings crowded together. It was some sort of city, but like none she had ever seen before. The road under her feet was cobblestone, but the buildings all appeared to be made of shiny copper and steel. The street continued for as far as her eyes could see, with additional streets branching off in all directions. Aliens of all shapes, sizes, and colors walked by, none giving Violet or the TARDIS a second look.

“What do you think?” asked the Doctor. “This is one of the biggest cities in the universe, and we’re right in the middle of it. And there’s a particular place I want to show you.”

He grabbed her hand and they crossed the street, dodging flying motorcycles, wheeled cars, and carriages drawn by horse-like feathered creatures. The Doctor stopped in front of a storefront filled with glass globes lit by some sort of luminescent insects. Along the side of the window were the most beautiful drawings and designs Violet had ever seen. 

“Is this… Is this a tattoo shop?” Violet asked.

“It is indeed! The most famous one in the universe, I might add. They are booked years in advance.”

“Then how…” Violet wondered. Then she laughed. “Of course! Time machine.”

Violet squeezed the Doctor’s hand as they walked toward the entrance. “ _ Thank _ you. What a perfect ending to our adventure.”

The Doctor smiled and lifted her hand to kiss it. “My dear Violet,” he said, a gleam in his eye. “This is just the beginning.”


End file.
